One Shots From WWR, EoF, and WotR
by MandiLuv
Summary: A selection of one shots from my universe where Jacob imprinted on a witch, and darkness is a very real force that requires the Cullens, the pack, and the new coven to join together. Mostly character related fluff happening between EoF and WotR
1. Fallen: An EoFWotR OneShot

**(AN) This is my birthday present to Beth Javensen, who has faithfully reviewed nearly every chapter since she started reading! Her birthday is technically on the seventeenth, but it's come to my attention that we have to visit Matteo's parents that night and I won't get to post it then. So, happy early birthday!**

From the time she was four, I'd been wrapped around her tiny fingers. The first time I'd looked into her lavender eyes, my life had been irrevocably changed. From then on, I'd belonged to this beautiful, golden-haired girl. I was her Paul, her best friend, her protector, and someday I'd be her lover, the best one she could ever have. I think a part of me had always thought of her as mine as well, my imprint, my Eva, my sunshine, my love and my life.

Yet she still didn't realize it. She couldn't see herself clearly, she couldn't fathom why anyone would love her, despite the fact that everybody did.

I watched her now as she walked beside me, perched on the low stone wall outside her home. It made me nervous, she bruised so easily, but I was confident I could catch her before she hit the ground.

"Paul?" She asked softly, tapping my shoulder. I looked up at her, smiling as my eyes met her face. She was biting her lower lip, looking anxious.

"Yep?" I asked, taking her hand in mine.

"I…I wanted to ask you something." She responded, her eyes still downcast. Her heart usually didn't beat this fast. I began to spin through things that could be making her distressed.

"I got that much, Evie." I mumbled distracted. I saw her face fall and I instantly cursed myself. I squeezed her hand tighter.

"I'm sorry, never mind." She whispered, turning to look the other way. I felt my heart drop down to my stomach and I had to fight back the groan.

Beautiful, sensitive, Evie. I sighed and very gently wrapped my arms around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. With the extra height from the small wall, she was as tall as me, barely. I could look right into her sparkling eyes, if they weren't pointed at the ground.

"Evie…c'mon sweetheart, I'm sorry. Tell me what's wrong, I'll make it better. Don't I always?" I asked tipping her head up with my finger. A blush was forming at the apples of her cheeks, coloring her pale skin a rosy pink.

"I…I just…" She shifted on the wall and lost her balance, instantly she was secure in my arms, bridal style.

_Don't think about that, Paul, she's only seventeen. _I yelled at myself. She laughed nervously.

"I wish I wasn't so clumsy." She mumbled. "If it wasn't for you, I'd have broken all my bones by now."

"I'd never let that happen." I said, determined. She laughed again, used to my intensity when it came to her personal safety. "So, what did you want to ask me?"

She blushed again, instantly becoming quiet. Her small fingers grabbed my shirt and she lowered her eyes.

"Evie? Please…just tell me what's wrong…" I begged. She looked up suddenly, her eyes blazing.

"Do you love me?" She asked, so softly that if I didn't have super werewolf hearing, I might have missed it. Her cheeks flushed, but she didn't look away from me. I had to remind myself to breathe, in and out, in and out, as I struggled through the words.

"If you don't, I mean, I understand, I really don't blame you if you decide you want someone else, and I promise I'll still always be your friend, but I'm sorry, I'm in love with you." She rushed to explain, slowly lowering her eyes in shame. I grinned like a mad man.

"Evie." I whispered softly. "Evie, there will never be anyone else. Just you, always you. I love you." I slowly lowered my lips to hers as her head bounced back up. Our lips connected, and suddenly there was nothing else in the world.

It was so right, we were molded perfectly for each other. Her lips moved slowly, inexperienced, against mine and I took it slow as well. My first time kissing a girl since I'd met Eva thirteen years before. Fireworks were going off in my blood, she was pressing against me...

It was worth the wait.

"Paul?" The world began to fade as her voice wrapped around me. "Paul, you have to get up."

I opened my eyes, watching the sun stream through my bedroom window. Eva was perched lightly on the edge of the bed in jeans and one of her dad's sweatshirts, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun.

"I let myself in, I hope you don't mind?" She asked sweetly with one of her saint-like smiles.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Eva?" I asked with a yawn, trying to shake the dream from my head. I couldn't rush things. Eva had to set the pace.

"I had a nightmare." She said softly, her eyes dropping. I instantly felt my heart seize, scrambling into a sitting position.

"What'd you see? Is it bad?" I asked, alarmed.

"You slept in and missed your alarm, then you were late for work and Sam was mad at you. Then Isaac had to work a double and cancel his date with Echo, which would have led to Echo moping for the next week." She quipped, standing and stretching. The sweatshirt rose up and revealed an inch of creamy white skin.

I was a bad, bad person.

"Meh, it would have been worth it." I declared. That was, of course, until Jake caught me thinking about it later, but then… no it still would have been worth it. Eva laughed.

"You would have me suffer because you'd prefer your dreams to reality?" She pouted. I smiled playfully.

"Yes, because Echo would have never gotten over it." I said sarcastically. She giggled, poking my side.

"I made you breakfast too, c'mon!" She danced out of the room and down the steps. I sighed.

I was going straight to hell.

It was worth it. Anything for my Eva, my Evie.

_Bonus Quotes (These quotes are from the upcoming end of the trilogy. Subject to change.)_

"_You told me you'd never leave me. I believed you. I still believe in you." – Delilah Black_

"_We're meant for each other. It's easy, simple. Someday you're going to realize that. I can afford to wait till then. I'm not decaying anytime soon." – Christian _

"_I'm going to protect you, Eva."_  
"_I'm going to save __**you**__. If I have to kill myself to do it."_  
"_That's not funny." Paul Roy and Eva Luwen_

"_What's wrong with me? I'm going crazy. I must be going crazy." – Echo Black_

"_It creeps and crawls, and then it consumes you." – Pandora_

"_Yeah. He'd look better as a pile of ashes." – Seth Clearwater _

"_I'm at least going to give you a head start. Jake wouldn't be that kind." – Edward Cullen_

"_Sure, blame me. Not the psychotic witch thing, blame me. Because I can't help loving you. Because I look at you and I see through that witty little cynical façade you have. You might not want me, but you've always got me." – Isaac Uley_


	2. Boys Will be Boys A WotR OneShot

**(AN) I wrote this for Beth Javensen when she was sick, but apparently I forgot to send it to her . I figured I'd just post it and let you all see it. It takes place 2 years before WotR. It's from Daniel's POV (He's the son of Jared and Kim) and he's sixteen in it, same as Echo and Tyler Call. He had just phased a couple days previous :-) In WotR, Abby/Daniel are hardcore dating and insanely close to being engaged. **

**Teenage Love Affair: Boys Will be Boys**

So, I was a teenage werewolf. It was kinda like being stuck in a bad horror movie, because my life was chock full of vampires, witches, and wolves. Despite that, it was really awesome. Except for the fact that, right now at least, I was dangerous to be around. It was dangerous for my little brother and sister to be around me, as well as my mom and dad, but they had no choice. Any little thing could set me off, and then I'd have to make a run for the tree line. I hadn't even gone back to school yet. I'd been on house arrest. The worst part was missing my friends, cause I was the first one to phase out of my generation. Tyler was a close second.

So, at least I had Ty, and his temper issues were much worse than mine which made me feel a whole hell of a lot better. It was still kind of lonely, which is why we'd begged and pleaded, bargained and whined, to be allowed to go to the bonfire tonight. The bonfire was also doubling as Delilah Black's birthday party. Which meant the female half of our little gang would also be there.

I'd known Echo Black since I was born. She was practically a twin sister, another appendage. Her cousin, Eva, had come a little bit later. She was a year younger, but she was so book smart that the school had wanted to bump her up two grades. Eva had refused the second bump, but had allowed herself to slide into our grade. She was right behind me when we lined up, so I'd gotten to know Eva. She was shy, quiet, and she had this freaky way of talking to Echo without actually saying anything, but she was as clumsy as I was growing up, and that bonded us together solidly.

Now, though, I wasn't clumsy at all. I was agile. I could see things miles away from us as clearly as if though it was right in front of me. I would never accidentally break anything ever again. Except when I phased accidentally in our house.

There was the other worry I had about going to this party. Besides the fact that I might get angry and phase, ripping everyone to shreds, there was the chance that I might imprint. I'd actually been running with Jacob, the alpha and Echo's dad, when I'd had that thought. It had made me falter in my steps.

_Imprinting isn't really that bad. _Jacob laughed when the thought crossed my mind. _It's just a lot to get used to, at first._

_But what if I imprint on one of my friends? Like…oh my god, what if I imprint on Eva? _I thought fearfully, picturing Paul ripping me to shreds. I hadn't understood how prominent Eva was in Paul's mind until I'd first run patrol with him. That was hardcore weird.

_I'm pretty sure you can't. _Jacob had said, humor tinting his thoughts. _Cause Paul already did. One imprintee can only have one imprinter._

_What if I imprint on Echo? _I asked again, my mind spinning out of control. I'd forgotten who I was talking to. He faltered a bit over that one, I had to laugh at the picture of Echo in his head, not as a sixteen year old, but as a five year old. However, I was prepared for a backlash of anger, not for what came next, a kind of serenity.

_She could do much, much worse than an imprinted werewolf. Having imprinted on someone myself… I know that no regular love comes close. _He said softly. _Of course, I'd have to rip you to shreds anyway. It's principle, Daniel. _

I winced internally now at that thought. I hoped that if anybody had to face Jacob after imprinting on Echo, it was Tyler.

_Thanks, man. _Tyler finally chimed in. _Take one for the team, huh? I hope to god I don't imprint on her, she's like my sister. _And it was true. In Tyler's thoughts, in mine, there wasn't a hint of romance anywhere in the way we felt about her. If I tried to look at it from a distance, I could admit Echo was hot and out of the league of most guys in La Push. That's all the further I could go.

_Hey, let's phase back here. _Tyler offered. I agreed, pulling myself back together just behind the trees to the beach. We changed quickly, anxious to see our friends again, before bursting out of the trees.

All the werewolves noticed us immediately. Their postures changed, shifting a little warily. I knew why they did that, and I tried to act like it didn't bother me. When I first phased, they had shown me what happened to Emily as a warning. I looked over at her and noticed she looked happy, even with the scars, sitting with her youngest daughter, Emma.

"Daniel! Tyler!" Echo finally yelled, noticing us. I saw her fly off the sand, darting through the people with an enviable amount of grace before she tossed her arms around Tyler first, kissing his cheek, then tackled me with what I'm sure was all the force she had possible. I noted that it felt like a small child throwing itself at me. She kissed my cheek too, grinning at me.

"You grew again." She accused, her eyes narrowing. "Both of you did."

"Not our fault you're short stuff." Tyler teased, even though it wasn't true. For a girl, Echo was remarkable tall, around 5'10. She was a half a foot taller than Eva, who came by more slowly. Eva, more reserved than Echo as always, didn't hug us, but just beamed at us with a smile most starlets would kill for.

I noticed, with relief, I felt exactly the same. I broke out in a wide smile and tossed an arm over Echo's shoulders. Tyler mimicked the action, one arm around Eva's shoulders and the other on top of mine around Echo's. I noticed everyone had relaxed, especially Jake, who seemed content that we hadn't imprinted on his daughter.

"So, Witch Babies, where's the food?" Tyler asked with a yawn. Eva laughed softly, gesturing over to the mountain of food behind everyone. Paul, who had probably only been inches away the entire time she was talking to us, swept in and announced that we should go get something to eat. We all ambled to the table, Tyler mostly silent as Eva and Paul talked over him. Tyler was still afraid of Paul after that time he had dared Eva to climb a tree and she'd fallen out of it and broke her arm. It had happened six years ago, but Paul had given Tyler such a chewing out he'd been afraid to be in the same room as him for a year.

"You don't seem so different. I wondered if you guys would be." Echo mused.

"Nah, why would it change who I was?" I asked. She shrugged.

"Maybe it does change you, the power. I wouldn't know, I've always been a witch girl."

"And a wolf girl." I pointed out. She smiled.

"Abigail Uley, for the love of all that's holy!" Sam moaned. Echo and I both turned to look. Echo let out a sigh while she smiled in amusement.

Abigail Uley, by far the hottest girl in La Push, had been rebelling against her parents for two years for pretty much no reason whatsoever. We all laughed about her new exploits, because she never did anything really bad. She got her nose and tongue pierced, cut off all her hair (the prize of most of the La Push girls. Both Echo and Eva loved their long, flowing hair) into a straight, layered bob, and had started dating a boy from Forks that nobody liked.

Besides that, she still got good grades, loved hanging out with the rest of the "pack kids", and loved her baby sister and brother dearly. It was the weirdest rebellion anyone had ever seen.

Sam moved out of the way and I saw what he was shaking his head about now. Abby's eyes were hidden by her hair, but that seemed to be the problem. Rather than completely shiny black, as it usually was, she had dyed sections of it bright pink. It hung in her face and obscured her eyes.

"It looks nice, Abby." Emily said gently. "We were just wondering why…"

"Cause I liked it." Abby replied flippantly with a smile. "C'mon dad, it'll grow out."

"You should just shave off all your hair." Isaac said with a smirk. "Then you'd look like a conehead." Abby swiped at him and Isaac ran off, Blaze trudging behind him with a roll of his eyes and a grin at me.

"I like it, Abby." Echo said with a smile. "Do you think my parents would let me do it?"

"You can get the temporary kind." Abby said smoothly, her eyes locking on both of us as she danced forward. "They just wash out…"

Whatever she said after that I missed, because at that second her eyes had slid to mine and met them for just a fraction of a second before returning to Echo's face. My world had shattered, and I slowly felt myself changing, because what had made me Daniel LeClair had floated away. My dad, Jared LeClair, my mom, Aaron, Joy, they were barely thoughts in the back of my head. My three best friends in the entire world, gone, like strings lit on fire, a fire that burnt feverishly in my heart. I wondered, for a second, if that was what Echo felt when she was on fire.

Abby. Abigail. My Abby. Something surer than myself held me to where I was. Gravity, my life, was all tied to her.

"Ow." Echo said softly, pulling away. I hadn't realized it, but I'd been gripping her shoulder to keep from completely losing it. She glared at me, rubbing the spot where I'd grabbed too tight. A part of me felt guilty, she was probably going to bruise.

"What's up with you, Danny?" Abby asked, a smirk on her sure face. "Gone all wolf, and now you're spooked by me with pink hair? Does it really look that bad?"

"I love your hair." I answered immediately, without really thinking about it. Suddenly, everyone else (with the exception of my generation, probably) realized what was going on. Sam stepped forward, pulling Abby away and behind him. Jacob had done the same thing with Echo, I hadn't even seen him get so close.

"Daniel." My dad called, dragging me back. I didn't want to go, but it was necessity. I didn't want to hurt her. I could never hurt her. And I was unstable right now. Tyler followed, his face a mask of worry. My dad finally stopped when the trees swallowed us. I felt wrong, not being able to see her.

"Abby?" My dad questioned, looking me straight in the eye. I nodded, my mouth dry. Jared smiled, patting me on the shoulder.

"Congratulations." He said.

"Man, the look on your face is sickening." Tyler commented, shaking his head.

"Dad, I just want to talk to him." A sweet voice asked. I instantly turned to it.

"Abby, sweetheart…" Sam was trying to talk her out of coming to see me. I stood straight, some deep instinct taking over. Tyler pushed me back and dad disappeared. When he came back, he was standing on the other side of Abby, her dad on her right. Tyler didn't step out from in front of me.

"Hey." I said softly. "Sorry to freak you out."

"No big." Abby said, shrugging her shoulders. I noticed a movement a little in the distance, Echo was not a couple yards back, but my attention was mostly focused on Abby's face. She was _gorgeous. _Her dark, sparkling coal eyes met mine, her skin like coffee with cream. She smiled, her full lips turning up at the corners. "Dad says you're mine now." She said flippantly. I nodded.

"Sorry man." She apologized, running her hand through her short hair. "Know I wouldn't want to be stuck with me."

"I don't mind. You're perfect." I murmured before I could think again. My skin darkened. I heard Echo laugh in the distance.

"That's your genes talking." Abby countered. "But…anyway, I broke up with my boyfriend last night. My dad, I guess, was kinda right about him being a big jerk."

"I typically am." Sam whispered. Abby either didn't hear or studiously ignored him.

"So…after my dad calms down, are we gonna go on a date or something?" She asked.

"Yeah, I mean, would you?" I asked, unsure of why this angel was even asking. It was weird how fast my mind had turned around. Suddenly, she wasn't this girl I'd grown up with, she was my love, my life.

"Sure. See you soon." She whispered, blowing me a kiss. Sam guided her away and I felt myself smile.

"Sickening." Tyler confirmed.

"I hope to God that I don't look like _that_ when I fall in love." Echo teased, still standing a safe distance away.

It didn't matter, though, because Abby and I were going on a date. I grinned even wider.


	3. Witches' Christmas: A WWREoF One Shot

**(AN) Merry Christmas! This one shot is a flashback from Zack's POV (I always felt Zack and Stella didn't get the credit they deserved). At the end, it's right after EoF :-) Happy holidays to everyone! Sorry I haven't replied to any email/reviews sent. I've been very busy and will get to it asap.**

**The Witches' Christmas**

"When I was a babe, I used to love Christmastide." The girl on my right said. She was small, thin, her long red hair was pinned up haphazardly. She was dressed in a long skirt and a flowing blouse, a dark cloak over that.

"Not celebrating tonight, Beltane?" I asked lowly. She shrugged her delicate shoulders.

"Mabon doesn't like the noise." She whispered.

"He can stay in, we shall celebrate with you." The girl on her other side said, her dark hair swinging loosely in the winter wind. "Let the mongrel rot."

"Sister, please." Beltane begged. "Do not grate, it's Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Ostara said, her eyes smoldering. Beltane reached up, kissing her on the cheek, and then pulling me into a tight hug.

"I shall see you in the morn. Enjoy the night, my darlings. Tell Hope I said so." She said, flitting away into the darkness. Ostara and I both glared after him.

"We could murder him. Nobody would ever know. Hope would help." Ostara said softly. My lips twitched.

"She would." I answered. "And she would be very upset."

"She doesn't know what's best for her." Ostara whispered as I guided her along through the rowdy, crowded streets. Ivy and holly hung everywhere, candles and fires burning brighter as we neared the city square.

"Atham!" A sweet, soft voice called through the square. I turned immediately with a small smile as the loveliest woman in the entire world walked right toward me. She was grinning, her cheeks flushed in the cold air, violet eyes sparkling as her golden curls bounced in the wind.

"Hope." I whispered. I saw Ostara roll her eyes as I grabbed her around her waist and hoisted her into the air. Her laughter rang out like Christmas bells.

"Tara!" Hope called and I let her down. She swung her arms around the dark haired girl. "Where is Beltane?" She asked brightly.

"With Mabon." Ostara responded, flipping her dark hair back. Hope's face fell. It was an amazing thing, the effect that girl had on us. She was the youngest witch right now, turned for the first time just a year ago by Ostara. Most witches, especially the new ones, died for the first time in the year after they were turned.

Not Hope, though. She wasn't a strong fighter, but two of the strongest fighters in the coven adored her, and Ostara was always there to heal any wound or scrape. Beltane and Ostara thought of her as a little sister, and I…I loved her. I loved the way she smiled, the way she smelled, even the way she moved. I loved the way her name sounded on my tongue.

Hope, my hope. Her sad expression was enough to break my heart. I looked at Ostara, she sighed, reaching over to kiss Hope's cheek.

"She promised she would be here." Hope said petulantly, looking at the ground.

"I shall go and retrieve her then, my darling. A promise is a promise." Ostara said feverishly, hugging Hope before disappearing into the darkness. We both watched her for a moment.

"Do you think Beltane will come, even if she entreats her and begs?" She asked.

"I think she will come." I said surely. "For you, if no one else."

And Hope beamed up at me, reaching out to take my hands. Her fingers were delicate and long, soft and cold. I wrapped my own around them to warm them. "I pray that you will grace me with a dance?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course, Atham." She said warmly. I led her to the dual lines of other young men and women lining up. We slid into the lines opposite each other, coincidentally beside another witching couple who smiled at us. As the music started, we moved, across the line, meeting in the middle. I joined hands with her, and we twirled in the firelight, laughing, smiling, breathless with joy.

Did she love me as much as I loved her? Our dance, one that made my cold heart warm, was repeated everyday. I couldn't bear to be away from her for a second, every night when I retired from the girl's company, I was fighting myself. Just a few more hours, a few more minutes, a few more seconds in the presence of my golden haired angel.

I'd always been a soldier, I was good at it. I could orchestrate and move the powerful witches surrounding me, I could make it through battles and patrols while losing the least amount of our coven, but somewhere along the way I had frozen. The war had taken a lot out of me, the same amount it had taken from Beltane. I had wanted to die, afterwards, to die for real and never come back. Just after I'd finally had the nerve to ask her, after I'd had it out with just about every member of the coven (Even the elusive, mysterious, and slightly psychotic Jezebel), Ostara had found _her_. And suddenly the world was bright again, rainbows sparkling in clear air, electricity flowing all around me.

Hope. Of course that was her name. I had to smile at the irony of it. The song ended and we stopped, still laughing.

"Esther is seeking you." The witch to my right said, a lovely woman with a lean, boyish figure. She smiled at me helpfully, her curls bouncing as she took off. Hope looked at me, her forehead wrinkling.

"I'll be right back." I said, tucking a golden curl behind her ear as I set off. Esther was right where I thought she'd be, her blazing orange waves tucked into a severe bun as she watched the rest of us have fun.

"Yes?" I asked. She looked up with a catty grin.

"Atham, wonderful to see you. Are you well?" She asked, taking a sip out of her cup.

"Yes, I find I am. What is it you need?" I asked, impatient. I wanted to get back to Hope. Esther raised an eyebrow.

"I want to plan something for tomorrow. I want to take the coven into the sewers, seek out the abominations there."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "That's a death trap. We don't know how many are there, or where they are, and when we did find them, it's not the ideal place for us to fight them…"

"They need taken care of."

"We'll all die!" I proclaimed. "I won't help you plan this, Esther. Not anymore."

There was an outbreak of laughter. I looked over my shoulder to see Hope embracing Beltane. Esther followed my eyes.

"She's doing well, young Hope. Maybe ready to go off on her own?" She suggested, her voice smug. "There's another town to the west having a large problem with the creatures…"

"She is not ready to leave." I growled. "What is this, Esther? Use her against me? So I'll be a good soldier?"

"Then you must be ready to plan. I shall see you on the morrow." She said airily, walking away. I watched her, and could feel my heart shatter into pieces. Was this my life now? To get my heart battered, abused, crushed and destroyed by protecting my love? To sacrifice friends?

I looked at the three of them, they had joined a circle that was going around the fire and were dancing in step. Beltane…Ostara…I didn't worry so much about them. They had died many times before, would die again, they knew what they were getting into when they chose this life. Hope…

I stalked away from the fire, down the deserted muddy streets. It had started to snow, spinning glitter in the hair.

"Atham!" A lovely voice called. Hope was following me. I paused, allowing her to catch up. I couldn't look at her, so I stared at the dirt. She reached me and took my hands in her own again. "What's wrong?" She asked, worried.

`"Do you love me?" I asked, blurting it out. "You are my life, my sun, the only dream I ever have. Do you love me too, my angel?" I asked, looking up. I felt like I was on fire. She was just staring at me, and then she _smiled._

"Of course I love you." She answered. "Silly boy. I've loved you since I met you." And she leaned up, her soft lips meeting mine gently, sweetly. Surprised, I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms against her slender waist.

"Stay with me." I begged, my lips moving against hers. "Throughout all your lives, throughout time, stay with me. I'll take care of you, I'll love you, I promise."

"Throughout time." She agreed. "Forever."

That's what the inside of our wedding bands said, several centuries later. 'Throughout Time'. It was amazing to think of how far we'd come.

"Daddy, daddy." The small child begged, although I kept my eyes closed and tried not to smile. "Daddy, wake up, it's Christmas!" She implored, her voice sweet as honey. Finally, unable to resist any longer, I opened them. The golden haired little girl, in the arms of my angel, grinned at me. My heart melted again.

"Hey Evie." I said, pulling her in between Stella and I. "It's Christmas, is it?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered. "It's our first Christmas in the new house, my first Christmas with Echo an' Paul."

"Speaking of Paul, go downstairs and wake 'im up." I yawned. Eva looked at me, confused. "He's on the couch, sweetheart. He stayed the night." I clarified. Eva smiled again, scrambling clumsily off our bed. I laughed, savoring the fact that at least Paul had to be up early as well.

"How'd ya sleep darlin'?" Stella asked, kissing me softly. I smiled.

"I dreamed. Of you. So it was wonderful." I replied. "Merry Christmas, angel."


	4. New Year's Eve

**(AN) I wanted to give you guys a New Year's present too, but I got super ultra busy and never got the time to write it :-( So does is something that's going to appear in WotR far in the future, from a chapter entitled "New Years Eve."**

**New Years Eve**

I entered the smoky bar, my heart racing a million miles in my chest, so hard I thought my ribs would break and it would jump right through my skin, running into the dance floor and getting itself trampled underneath the sea of elaborate, alien like dancers.

He wasn't dancing. He was sitting by himself, in a void of empty space, staring moodily at the table. People skirted around him, put off by his very vibe, even if they didn't understand why. I walked forward, a few steps into the room, and his head snapped up immediately. His eyes landed on me, I could feel them.

They scorched my skin, set sparks tingling down my arms and into my fingers, my heart lurched unevenly and for a moment, a glorious, inescapable moment, I couldn't breathe. I wanted to run to him, throw myself at him, and drown in his eyes.

"Why are you here?" He asked. I couldn't hear the exact words, but I knew his mouth was forming the words, the pout of the o, the crescendo of the a. A sweet song only I knew.

"You're right, I'm always running away." I whispered. I knew he heard every word. He stood then, making his way through the crowd, brushing them aside like insignificant insects until he was right in front of me. My fingers reached out, twisting his shirt and wrinkling it.

"This'll change everything, what I'm about to say…" I began, my eyes burning with stinging tears. "We could die, you could die. I can't…"

"I love you so much, I don't care if I die." He said carelessly.

That was the first time I knew fear.


	5. Soldier's Daughter: WotR

**The Soldier's Daughter**

It was almost noon when I left Eva's house and tromped through the trees. I could have phased, but I didn't know who was on patrol at the moment, and I didn't want to risk Tyler or Dan being there. Actually, I really just didn't want anyone in my mind right now.

Well, maybe I did want Tyler to see the images in my head now. My heart thumped erratically and I could almost feel Eva under my hands again, soft, heartbreakingly beautiful, smelling like mint and clean rain. I smiled smugly to myself as I burst through the threes into Sam's back yard.

I'd been so caught up in my thoughts of Eva that I hadn't noticed it was sunny today. The Uley girls were taking full advantage of it. There was a blanket spread on the grass, Abby was laying down, her nose in a bridal magazine. She carefully folded down the corner of a page before she flipped to the next one. Emily was sitting, Emma's head on her leg. They both had magazines out as well.

"Oh, Abby, look at this one." Emma said, pushing the magazine she was holding toward Abby. Abby took it in her hands, examining the picture critically. Emily noticed me first and she smiled warmly.

"Paul, how's Eva?" She asked.

"She's great. Just a dizzy spell." I answered.

"That girl needs to learn how to take care of herself." Emma said quietly, turning her face up to the sunbeams. I was reminded immediately of how much she looked like her mother, before the scars. Emily whapped her head softly.

"Behave, Emma." Emily chided before looking back up and inclining her head to the house. "Sam is in his office. There are cookies in the kitchen if Isaac hasn't eaten all of them yet."

"Thanks Emily." I said gratefully. "And Emma…" I smiled. "She doesn't have to learn how to take care of herself, I'm here."

Emma rolled her brown eyes and picked up another magazine. I ducked into Sam's kitchen, pausing to grab a cookie. It was chocolate chip, and it tasted just like heaven.

"Isaac." I said in greeting as I passed through the living room. Isaac looked up, smiled, and waved. It was the most cheerful I'd seen him since Echo's birthday party. I paused, confused.

"How's Delilah?" I asked. We'd taken off to quickly to be sure she was okay, although Jake had called when she woke up.

"She's fine, really. She was just a little shaken up." He grinned again. I forgot how sunny he was. I couldn't help but smile back at him. He was like a kid on Christmas.

"I'm guessing she talked to you?" I predicted. He absolutely beamed.

"She said she can forgive me. That's all I needed." He said, stretching. I shook my head in wonder as I trudged up the stairs. But then...I supposed Isaac would be good for Delilah, much better than he ever was for Echo. Delilah, lovely and self-critical, would benefit by having Isaac behind her.

Doors were hardly ever closed in Sam's house. Everything was always wide open. I slipped right into his office, he was on the phone. He held up a finger to acknowledge me.

Sam had started his own business when his own kids were babies. His construction company did work all over the area, and he was pretty successful at running it. Not to mention that his workforce was, for the most part, made up entirely of werewolves. This included me, Brady, Collin, Seth, and Quil. We could get any amount of work done in little time at all.

"Alright Paul, what's up?" Sam said finally, hanging up the phone and leaning back in his chair.

"I have a problem." I said, running my hand through my hair. His lips twitched.

"I'd say you have more than one." He taunted. I growled low. He raised an eyebrow and I sighed, dropping into the other chair and putting my head in my hands. Sam was quiet for a few seconds before he rose and shut the door.

"It's pretty serious?" He asked. I nodded. He sat back down, pulling a beer from the fridge under the desk and handing it to me. I sighed.

"It's Tyler Call. I'm going to have to murder him." I said finally. Sam blinked a few times, wrinkling his forehead.

"What'd he do? Tyler hasn't been in any trouble I've heard about, and the girls seem to know all the gossip." Sam said. I chuckled bitterly.

"Bet they haven't heard this gem." I said dryly. "Guess who Tyler has a dramatic, inconvenient crush on?"

Sam was quiet for a few seconds before he groaned, reaching down to open the fridge again. "Suddenly, I wish I had something stronger than beer." He mumbled resentfully.

"I want to kill him." I said matter-of-factly.

"That's Embry's son, he wouldn't like it very much." Sam mused. "Tyler…he's a good kid, Paul. He takes care of Dawn…helps his dad out. Has he done anything inappropriate?" He asked.

"Not that I know of." I fumed. "I'm scared, I'm scared he's going to end up hurting her Sam. Hell knows that if she wanted him, I'd step out, anything for her to be happy, but he…he can't love her as much as I do."

"I don't think this is a big deal." Sam said after a few minutes. I made a choking noise in the back of my throat. Sam cut me off before I could say anything else. "Tyler hasn't done anything, if he did, we would have heard about it. He can't think that Eva would choose him over you, you're her imprint, soulmate, all those hooky words."

"I'm not good enough for her, Sam." I moaned quietly. "I'm a cad, I was a manwhore, she doesn't know anyone except me. She's so innocent, so kind and beautiful. She's completely out of my league."

"I know how you feel." And Sam was looking out the window, his eyes soft and introspective as he examined Emily. "But things work out, they always do."

Silence settled around us as we drank our beers. Then Sam laughed, quickly turning it into a cough.

"Is there a reason Zack Luwen is in my yard?" He asked, trying to hide his bemused smile. I groaned.

"I think I should get a blindfold. And a last cigarette." I complained as I heaved myself up. Sam chuckled to himself as I made my way downstairs. I stepped onto the front porch just as Zack did. I couldn't quite look him in the eyes.

"I think we should go for a walk." He said civilly.

"Should I write my will first?" I asked hesitantly.

"You should have written it years ago." He said, too seriously. I looked at him, he was smirking.

"You get off on the fact that you're the one person that puts the fear of god in me." I accused as I followed him into the woods.

"I feel smugly superior to every other human being." He answered calmly.

"So you're not taking me out here to murder me?" I asked.

"She begged me not to make a scene. She says you're her boyfriend now. She says you kissed her." He said, running his hand through his messy brown hair before looking up at me.

"That's all true, but that's all we did, Zack. I promise." I swore.

"I know. She wouldn't lie to me." Zack answered immediately. "She's still just a kid, Paul. She's only seventeen." He sounded mournful.

"I know. I should have waited. But…it's what she wanted." I tried to defend myself. Zack just shook his head.

"She's old beyond her years. I blame it on the fact she sees the future." He smiled softly. "I never wanted kids, Paul. I thought the world…it was such a horrible place. I watched it ruin Cassie for so long…and she was the happiest thing on the planet for a couple hundred years. I didn't want to be part of raising children in that. Stella…Stella had faith in me I couldn't have in myself. And…when I first saw Eva…" He sat down, his smile wistful and nostalgic.

"You know we almost lost her, twice, before she was born. It was such a rough pregnancy, but Stella never gave up. She's much more optimistic than I am, she always was. I saw Eva for the first time, she was premature, so they wouldn't let us have a lot of time with her, but I saw her…and suddenly everything clicked into place for me. She's more than just my only daughter…she's my redemption. I used to think…life was expendable, until she was here. She's the one who taught me that life was beautiful."

"She's special Zack. I know that." I answered. "I love her."

"I know." He smiled. "I've seen that, but she's still my little girl. And she's finally in love with you." He sighed.

"I'll take care of her, Zack. I mean, I don't have a lot of money, but I'll work hard and I'll make sure she's comfortable and happy, and I'll keep her safe, and nobody in the world will ever love her half as much as I do." I promised.

"She doesn't need money, have you met Eva?" He snorted. "The fight is coming, Paul. Echo's gone, Delilah's going to be thirteen soon. It's just a matter of time. And she'll fight too. She's' not…she's not a fighter, but she won't stay behind."

And he buried his head in his hands in despair. I felt the same terror well up inside me. "I'm trusting you, Paul." Zack said. "If…when we do fight, I need you to make sure she makes it out okay. It's not just…it's not just for me. If we lose, Eva might be the only chance to make it right later down the line."

And I knew our thoughts were back to the clearing we'd been in thirteen years ago, when a gaggle of lovely, violet eyed children had come back to save one of their own. And I remembered, vividly, the way that Eva had curled into me, like I could protect her from everything.


End file.
